


NothingSpecial

by Nicknack2814



Category: Charmed
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 08:32:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4384802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicknack2814/pseuds/Nicknack2814
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Araya grew up in the midst of the Children of the Charmed One's. She'd grown up calling the sisters and their husbands her Aunts and Uncles, her mother was a very good friend of theirs and she was used to magic and all that came with it. Unfortunately for Ray it would have been an awful lot easier if she were magical too, but as a mortal there was nothing special about her, at least that's what she thought...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Out of sync

**Author's Note:**

> Set in the future when Wyatt is 22, Chris is 21 and Mel is 19 (as is my OFC Araya - Ray for short)

Ch1  
Araya knocked on the door of her Aunt Phoebe’s house and let herself in. She put her bag down by the door and walked over to where her mom was sat with Phoebe, giving them both a quick hug and peck on the cheek as a greeting. She turned towards the rest of the room; the entire downstairs was open plan all the way from the front to the back door, it was an incredible space but didn’t exactly harbour many private places. Ray had practically grown up both here and at the Halliwell Manor. Her mom was good friends with the sisters and her dad had died when she was only two, so the sisters took it upon themselves to adopt her very small and broken family. The only problem with this was that she happened to be the only mortal child in a medley of magical beings. When they were young it didn't make any difference but five years ago the Halliwells and Mitchells had all joined Magic School and since then it had felt more and more like she didn't belong. They were all in their last years of school, and Ray was the only one not in magic school. Mortal girl in a magical world, it was like being the poor kid in a private school, a lot of people felt it was their duty to let you know you didn't belong, that it wasn't your world and you were nothing but privileged to be a part of it.

To be fair to them, Mel, PJ, Tam and Kat treated her like they always had, they were oblivious to how she felt and what was really going on. At this precise moment they were all working on a group assignment, the details of which totally escaped Ray and didn't actually concern her anyway, so she'd taken to flagging out over an armchair and reading a comic book, as was becoming the norm. The rest of the group consisted of two ‘plastic’ vain and guy obsessed girls called Harmony and Violet, and a rather quiet hardworking girl called Jenny. They were talking in low voices about some guy in their class, Ray wouldn't know him, and which of the girls fancied him because he was such a dreamboat and super powerful and magical. Ray rolled her eyes and looked back at her comic book. She was sure the only thing those girls were interested in was how powerful a guy was and with Wyatt being the Twice-blessed she wondered which one of them had called shotgun on him. With that, Chris, Wyatt and six of their friends waltzed through the front door.

"Hey, is Uncle Coop around?" He stopped to ask his Aunt Phoebe who was sat at the table having coffee with Ray's mom,  
"Yeah, he's out back, hiding from the all the estrogen," Phoebe laughed,  
"Can't say I blame him," Chris sucked in a breath noting the very high number of female persons within the huge room, he nodded to no one in particular and went to make his way towards the back yard, motioning at his group to follow. They’d almost made it past the girls when one of them spoke up.  
“Hey Wyatt, hey Chris,” Harmony flung her hair back and batted her baby blues,  
“Hey,” Chris said, barely acknowledging her with more than a wave,  
“Hi,” Wyatt stopped and gave her a flirty grin, he noticed the other guys all giving the girls sideways glances and called to Chris who was still moving, “Hey bro, we’ll hang here for a minute,”  
“Whatever,” Chris carried on, oblivious to the little dance that was now ensuing in the lounge area.

“So, girls...what’re you up to?” Wyatt moved to sit with Harmony and Vi, who immediately giggled and moved apart to give him room. The other guys all seemed to take his cue and came to sit with the group of girls, scattering themselves between them. Mel, PJ, Tam and Kat were none too pleased with Wyatt’s arrival and intrusion, but the attention of his friends seemed to pacify their irritation. They talked among themselves, most conversations being overly flirty. Ray was quiet and quite shy, talking to people she didn't know was pretty hard for her and took a lot of effort, effort she wasn't in the mood for making right now. She rolled herself off the armchair and made her way out the back door, after Chris, without anyone noticing.

Coop and Chris were chatting towards the back of the garden. Coop was tending to some roses, and Chris was talking his ear off, getting more and more irritate at Coop's response.  
"...have to tell me! I really like her, and I just want to know if she likes me!" Ray could hear Chris pleading with his Uncle,  
"If you like her then ask her out, if she says no, she doesn't like you back," Coop wasn't giving an inch,  
"Please tell me you're not talking about Beth?!" Ray asked,  
"Whose Beth?" Chris frowned, trying to play cool,  
"Tall blonde girl, legs up to her armpits, usually attached to your group with superglue, where's hardly any clothing..." Ray raised her eyebrows at him,  
"Oh...that Beth," Chris gave in,  
"Yes, that Beth. You seriously interested in her?" Ray looked at him puzzled,  
"Why? What's wrong with this one? She too clingy like Kaitlin? Or too slutty like Emma? Too possessive like Olivia? Too..."  
"Into Wyatt? Yeah!" Ray cut him off,  
"What?! That's ridiculous, she's all over me!"  
"She's all over you when Wyatt's around, she's trying to get his attention, make him jealous, and she's using you to do it," Ray laid it out for him,  
"But...it could be..." Chris sighed, "I knew something was off,"  
"Then why'd you come to see Uncle Coop?" Ray asked,  
"Because I didn't want to pass up the love of my life based on a hunch," Chris said,  
Ray fell about the place laughing, "you've got to be kidding me right?" She looked at Chris's dejected expression and sighed, "come on Chris! Your Uncle is a Cupid, you have three cousins who are half Cupid, your mum and dad are soul mates, you are half whitelighter! Tell me in all these years you haven't learnt something about love?!" Ray flung her arms up in exasperation, Coop stayed busy with his roses keeping quiet, "love _is ___a hunch you moron, it's all about how you feel! You have to trust that, if it feels wrong it is wrong, love makes everything feel right even when it isn't, it's truly being happy and whole, if something feels 'off' run very far away, seriously," Ray looked at Chris dead on, "You deserve for it to feel right, not 'off', and you need to trust yourself,"  
"Thanks Ray, I didn't know you cared so much," he chuckled, making her glare at him,  
"It's not you I care about," she smirked, "I'm trying to help out Uncle Coop, cause if he has to hear another one of your possible girlfriend stories I'm not sure how much longer he's going to last!"  
"Very funny," Chris huffed at her, "thanks Uncle Coop," he waved as he started walking back to the house, "and...sorry,"  
Coop waved back at him, "anytime," he said, more out of habit than anything. Chris was so paranoid about his love life, every single little thing he came to Coop for, and he was starting to get a bit concerned. Hopefully Ray's unexpected intervention helped, even just a little bit. He looked up at the young woman still stood behind him. Her long brown hair flowed in the breeze and framed her face, her bright blue eyes shone out from underneath her fringe.  
"You know," Coop said, "you'd make a pretty good Cupid,"  
"Ha!" Ray laughed at him, "yeah, if I wasn't mortal, that part is the problem,"  
"I dunno, I think that's what makes you so good at that stuff, feelings and such," he smiled at her, watching her try and take a compliment. It made him sad to think that she'd never seen herself the way he did, or her mum or Phoebe, she'd always seen herself as nothing special just because she wasn't magical, but she was so much more. She was more like a daughter to him than some of his nieces and it hurt him just as much to see her like that as it did one of his own.  
"Thanks Uncle Coop," Ray gave him a squeeze and walked back to the house.

Chris walked through the back door and saw the mess of people still scattered throughout the lounge area. He rolled his eyes and stuck around in the kitchen making himself a drink. His youngest cousin came wondering in and began to make her own, she stopped and looked at him.  
"What?" Chris snapped, far more harshly than he'd intended,  
"Hey, it's not my fault dad won't tell you your future!" Penny snapped back,  
"Sorry," Chris sighed, "I just...I don't want to miss out but I don't want to waste my time either," he shrugged,  
"Did it ever occur to you that sometimes experiencing relationships isn't a waste of time and discovering it all for yourself isn't missing out? It's actually good for you," Penny looked at her cousin pointedly,  
"No, that had not occurred to me," he laughed, "thank you thirteen year old cousin of mine, who is wise beyond her years,"  
"Beyond yours too by the looks of it,"  
"Haha!" Chris laughed, unable to argue,  
"You know, it's gonna get a lot easier for you if you just admit it's not dad's advice your after," Penny said,  
"Really? Enlighten me, whose advice am I actually after?" Chris said, and with that Ray walked through the back door. Penny looked at Ray and then back to Chris, she smirked and walked off. Chris glared at her but said nothing; she was definitely wrong, wasn't she? Now he thought about it, he usually did whatever Ray told him too when it came to his love life. He seemed to trust her insight without even realising it. He looked up at her and she frowned back at him, he shook his head, ridding himself of his strange thoughts.  
"What was that about?" Ray asked, nodding toward Penny's disappearing back,  
"She thinks I like you," Chris shrugged,  
"Wow, and I thought she'd actually spent a decent amount of time around us," Ray laughed,  
"Me too, she seemed to think I was after your advice more than Uncle Coops," he shrugged,  
"Were you?"  
"I don't know, but I didn't like the answer I was getting when I started thinking about it,"  
"Please don't think, that's dangerous," Ray chuckled, "but I'm happy pretending it's Uncle Coop's advice you want, and then forcing my opinion on you after, if that's good with you,"  
"Yeh, that works for me," he smiled,  
"Good, cause otherwise we'd actually have to be friends and that would be way too much for anyone to handle," she laughed,  
"You coming?" Chris asked Ray as he started back to the group,  
"Do I have to?" She grimaced,  
"No, but imagine all the fun we could have," he rubbed his hands together and gave her a wicked smile. Ray sighed in defeat and followed him back into the room.

"Hey there you two," PJ eyed them suspiciously, "where have you been?"  
"Making out in the kitchen," Chris said without flinching, and flopped himself on the armchair that was originally Ray's. Half the group looked at him in shock and then back to Ray, the other half (the half that were related to him) all looked at him in mock horror.  
"You were what?" Harmony shot daggers at Ray,  
"I really hate you sometimes," Ray turned red and picked up a cushion throwing it at him, he laughed as he caught it then threw it back at her,  
"It didn't feel like it two minutes ago," he grinned and picked up her comic book,  
"Hey! That's mine, put it down," she went to pull it carefully out of his hands but ended up falling on his lap, with his help of course. Ray didn't like social situations and she hated any attention in them, so naturally Chris liked making her the centre of it. Ray and Chris had a bit of a love/hate relationship; they were usually arguing or purposefully making each other uncomfortable but in doing so they had become pretty good friends over the years, even though they'd never admit it.  
"Are you serious?!" Harmony snapped, "did you seriously kiss?!"  
"No!" Both Ray and Chris frowned at her incredulously,  
"Do you think all these guys would be so relaxed if they thought we were serious?!" Chris laughed,  
"Well..." Harmony didn't have an answer,  
"It is hard to tell sometimes Ray," Chris looked at her teasingly, he had his arm wrapped around her waist and his head on her shoulders, looking up into her eyes like a puppy, "you are really into me,"  
"Yeah, totally," Ray rolled her eyes, turning redder by the second, not because he was right but because everyone was looking at her, which for her was infuriating because only five other people in the group knew her well enough to believe that. Ray snatched her comic off him and shoved it carefully in her bag before wondering off to the kitchen.

"You do have this inane ability to find fault with every girl I like," Chris said as he joined her, leaning up against a counter with his arms folded,  
"Don't flatter yourself," she laughed, " vanity doesn't look good on you," she didn't bother getting angry at him for putting her in the middle of the group, she'd tried before and it never worked so she'd given up now, "besides, you're insane enough to listen to me, so who do you think has the problem? The girl who finds the faults or the guy who wants her to?"  
"Yeah, vanity doesn't look good on you either," he chuckled,  
"I told you earlier that thinking is dangerous," Ray shook her head in mock disappointment,  
"I can't help it, I've got a big brain," he whined,  
Ray let out a laugh, "sure you do Einstein, it explains all the awful choices you've made in women,"  
"They were not awful choices! I liked them!" Chris defended himself,  
"Ha! They were all hot I'll give you that,"  
"Oh yes, they were that," Chris smiled whilst reminiscing,  
"But if you're being totally honest with yourself, what about them other than that did you like?" Ray asked watching his smile quickly turn into a grimace,  
"Yeah okay, you're right, they were awful," he shook his head chuckling, "I'm ready for beauty on the inside now,"  
"How very mature of you," Ray frowned doubtfully, "and incredibly cheesy too,"  
"You coming back with me?" Chris asked as turned to head back to the group,  
"Yeah, but only for a second, I've got to get home and get on with my own homework, so I'll just grab my stuff and shoot," she followed him back towards the sofas.

"You two just can't get enough of each other can you?" Kat smirked as they walked back in,  
"What can I say, once you pop you just can't stop," Chris grinned,  
"I gotta get back, so I'll see you all later, or at some point..." Ray grabbed her bag and made for the door, eager to get their eyes off her, she was getting better at coping with it, she'd lasted a whole five minutes earlier.  
"Hey Ray," Wyatt called out to her, "I'll orb you home if you want?"  
"Nah it's okay, I kinda like the walk," she waved without turning around, "see ya,"  
As she opened the front door Wyatt appeared at her side, "that's cool, I kinda like the walk too," he grinned at her as she frowned at him, then shoved her out the door in front of him.


	2. Company

Ray turned to Wyatt as he shut the door and he motioned for her to keep walking.  
"You know I can walk home by myself, I'm a big girl," she huffed,  
"Yeah I know, I just fancied a bit of air," Wyatt shrugged,  
"Oh, so you decided to give tweedle dee and tweedle dumb more reasons to hate me while you did it?" She sighed,  
"Sorry, didn't think about that," Wyatt laughed, "hang on, why would they hate you just because I chose to walk you home?" He spun round to look at her, walking backwards,  
"Seriously? You have to ask that?" Ray wasn't sure if he was joking,  
"Uh yeah?"  
"You know they're both really into you right?" Ray frowned at him, unable to believe he could be so blind,  
"Well, I did wonder but...are you sure?" He looked at her dubiously,  
"Yes! Pretty much every girl you aren't related to is into you! I thought you knew that?!" Ray looked at him in disbelief,  
"Well, I didn't like to assume..." He grinned,  
"Wyatt, assume away..." Ray shook her head smiling, "seriously, I can't believe you, the evil stepsisters were practically throwing themselves at you,"  
"You really don't like them do you?"  
"No, not much," Ray shifted awkwardly, "but then they don't like me, they've been looking down their noses at me since I met them,"  
"What makes you think that?" Wyatt asked, trying to understand,  
"I can feel it, like the way Harmony was so indignant and almost disgusted at the idea of me and Chris..."  
"Well that is pretty disgusting," Wyatt said wrinkling his nose and making Ray laugh,  
"Yeah it is, but it's not the same with her, it's not because it's me and Chris, it's because it's _me ___and Chris, I'm not special, I'm not magical, I'm not anything so...you know..." Ray shrugged trying her best to explain it, "I just get a bit gnarly when they'd screw you in a heartbeat any which way you'd like, just because you've got a bit of magic and power, then look at me with their condescending eyes practically telling me I don't belong in your world!" Ray breathed hard finishing her rant and trying to get her anger to subside. Wyatt, who was still walking backwards in front of her, stopped dead making Ray nearly crash into him. He folded his arms and gave her an intense look.  
"Ray, you will always belong in our world, in my world," he unfolded his arms and pulled her in for a bear hug, wrapping them round her shoulders whilst she hugged his waist. Wyatt always knew what to say to make her feel better. She gave him a squeeze as she let go and smiled up at him.  
"Thanks Wyatt,"  
"Anytime," he smiled back, "so you really think I could pull Harmony or Vi?"  
"There would be no pulling, pulling implies having to make an effort, they will literally just come to you," Ray gave him a dead pan look, "and I doubt you'd have to choose," she added,  
"Wow, I've never been part of a threesome before...sounds exciting though," he grinned,  
"Please stop talking," Ray grimaced at him, "besides, as easy as it would be, I'm not sure you really want to go down that road,"  
"Uh, I'm sorry, I could have sworn you just said I _don't ___want the easy sex?"  
"Yeh, because the easy sex comes at a price," Ray laughed, "Harmony and Vi are insane, like obsessive, manipulative insane..."  
"Hey I know you don't like them, and I get why, but are they really that bad?"  
"I've been quietly putting up with them and hanging out in their background for what...four, five years now? I wouldn't put it past them to harvest your sperm when you weren't looking and 'accidentally' get pregnant," Ray said matter-of-factly,  
"Okay, so stay away from the crazy ladies with the easy sex!" Wyatt looked kind of queasy,  
"You have to act like normal though," Ray started panicking, "If you start acting all awkward or shut down now, they'll think it's my fault,"  
"It is your fault!" Wyatt cried,  
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise you wanted to be a dad so soon and forced into marriage with a wacky blonde woman who only wants you because she thinks your the 'chosen one'" Ray said,  
"I am the chosen one," he replied, then laughed as Ray punched his arm playfully,  
"Shut up," she shook her head laughing,  
"What about the quiet one, Jenna? Gemma?"  
"Jenny," It was Ray's turn to walk backwards so she could meet Wyatt's eye, "don't mess with Jenny,"  
"So you know her well then?"  
"I know her enough to actually like her," Ray shrugged, "which is saying something for me,"  
"Yeh it is," Wyatt nodded,  
"With Harmony and Vi, they're only interested because you're 'the chosen one' as you put it, Jenny isn't like that, she's not a conquest, or a challenge, she won't have a one night stand with you, she doesn't do that sort of thing," Ray said,  
"I thought you didn't know her that well," Wyatt frowned at her,  
"I don't," Ray frowned back, more at herself than Wyatt, "I just, I get this feeling that if you start something with Jenny and it doesn't work out, it'll break her heart," she sighed,  
"Ok, I'll leave it," Wyatt said, still puzzled at the seriousness of her tone, "I might be 'the chosen one' but I don't want to leave a string of broken hearted women behind me," he grinned, lightening the mood again,  
"Good," Ray smiled and swung back round to walk beside him, they were nearly at her front door. Ray lived in a small house with her mum, they had all the space they needed and it was home. Wyatt walked her up the steps to the front porch and watched her get her keys out and open the door. Ray turned back to him and gave him a goodbye hug, "thanks Wyatt,"  
"Anytime, it was an eye-opening walk so thank you, I can't help but feel like you saved me," he smiled,  
"See you tomorrow probably," she sighed,  
"Never feel like you don't belong Ray, they're only jealous that you know us inside out and they can barely get us to hold a conversation with them,"  
"I don't think jealous is the word, I think angry, bitter, furious...those are more accurate words," she smiled and shook her head, "see you tomorrow Wyatt,"  
"You better, I'll come looking for you if you start bailing on us!" He yelled as he waved and walked away. Ray smiled to herself as she shut the door behind her. She kicked her shoes off by the door and headed up the stairs to her bedroom.

Ray put her bag on her desk and lay on her bed. She shut her eyes and tried to push Harmony and Vi out of her head, it was hard because she saw them everyday even though she never went to school with them. It was getting to the point where she was thinking of slowly fading out of the group, but she wasn't sure she could do that to Mel just yet. Her and Mel were best friends, they'd been thick as thieves since they'd met as kids. Ray loved being around her, she never took her shyness as an excuse to talk over the top of her or make all the decisions, and she never forced her to do things she wasn't comfortable doing either. Not like Chris who'd basically charged through her life like a bull in a china shop, never really asking what he could and couldn't get away with. He pushed her buttons and her limits, he challenged her constantly and she'd only just started realising that it might not necessarily be a bad thing, and to be fair he'd never pushed her beyond what she could just about manage. Ray sat up and opened her eyes. She surveyed her small room, the photos of her and her mum, her and Mel, and PJ, Kat and Tam, Wyatt, Chris, all their parents and siblings, the one photo she had of her and her dad, she looked at the small knick-knacks scattered across the shelves, the little things that were linked to a lot of memories. She went and sat at her desk and opened up her laptop, she rummaged through her bag to find her course work. Her all too ordinary course work. She spent three or four hours on an assignment for a class she hated, it was due in next week and she'd left it till now to even start it. Her mom popped her head in to let her know she was home and again to bring her something to eat. Time seemed to blur a little. Ray looked at the clock on her computer screen, it was just past 11pm, she stretched and yawned then saved everything and went to jump in the shower, refusing to spend anymore time on it, tonight at least. She washed and dressed quickly then got into bed. She drifted off much quicker than she expected.


	3. Battle #1

The next day was Friday. Ray woke up yawning, she was late already and had to skip breakfast. She gave her mom a quick kiss as she skidded out the door and down the front steps in yesterday's jeans, a batman t-shirt with a red plaid shirt over the top and a pair of skate shoes. Ray scrunched her hair up and wound a band around it to hold it in place, pretty much finishing off and adding to her 'sack-of-potatoes-tied-up-in-the-middle' look. She just managed to get to the bus stop as it was about to pull away.

Ray spent all day at college studying, her head felt like it was going to explode by the time she'd finished. She was looking forward to getting home and going to bed when Mel messaged her. They were all getting together tonight at the manor, Mel told her to jump off her bus a few stops early, she could orb her home to pick her stuff up. The last thing Ray wanted to do was spend tonight with Harmony and Vi but after the conversation she'd had with Wyatt yesterday she knew she couldn't skip it, he wouldn't believe she was ill even if he saw her, and he'd only heal her anyway. Ray suddenly realised that wasn't a bad plan, her head was pounding and if she had to endure the witches-two (literally) to get it fixed she was willing to go that far. Ray walked up the road to the manor, she knocked on the front door and walked in. There was no one in the hallway so she dumped her bag down and ventured further into the house, sending Mel a message as she went. Her phone buzzed in her hand as she rounded the corner to the kitchen, they were on their way, still at school, be back asap. Great. Ray looked up and felt her heart sink, her head throb harder and a wave of nausea overcome her. Looking back at her were Wyatt, Chris, the six guys who were with them yesterday and a few girls all dotted about the kitchen.  
"Hey Ray," Chris smirked, "what's up?"  
"Uh..." Ray looked around with wide eyes, "Mel...Mel told me to meet her here, we're doing a thing or something...I got a message..." Ray was doing something between a mumble and a stutter,  
"You okay Ray?" Wyatt frowned at her in concern,  
"Yeah, I got this headache thing," she squinted,  
"Oh, come here then," Wyatt motioned for her to come to him, right at the back of the kitchen, passed everyone who was still looking at her,  
"It's ok, don't worry it's not..." Before she could finish Chris had walked over and grabbed her arm, leading her towards Wyatt, she glared at him with as much feeling as she could muster beneath her pain,  
"What is the point in suffering when Wyatt can fix you?" He looked at her in exasperation,  
"The pain drowns you out," she said without thinking, causing a few laughs and Chris to look at her in surprise,  
"Seems to drown out other stuff too," he smiled,  
"Oh shut up," she mumbled as he planted her in front of Wyatt who immediately raised his hands to her head, yellow light shone out and within a few seconds her headache was gone.  
"Thanks," she gave him a small smile, "I'll just go and wait for the others..."  
"Here take these," Chris handed her a drink and a packet of crisps, interrupting her again, "sit there," he pointed to the counter on the corner unit,  
"But...I was..." Ray was overwhelmed, not helping Chris turned to the group, "everyone say hi to Ray,"  
The group waved at her and she gave a very small smile as she waved back and went to sit where Chris had told her. Wyatt gave her a sincere but helpless apologetic smile. She glared at Chris as he stood next to her, the rest of the group going back to their conversations before she'd entered.  
"I really hate you," she practically whispered,  
"I know," he grinned, and carried on, "so you met Connor, Jake, Tim, Ben, Will and Nicky yesterday," he said as he pointed to each of the guys standing round the room, "and you know Beth, the other two are Kate and Mia,"  
"I still hate you,"  
"Yeah, but at least now you can hate me and you know everyone," he smiled, "besides, think of Harmony and Vi's faces when they see you in here with us," he winked,  
"Did you just do something nice for me only covered in something horrible so no one would find out," Ray frowned at him,  
"Maybe, or maybe I don't like those girls just as much as you, so I'm using you to piss them off," he shrugged, "we'll never know," he laughed as he went and joined a conversation with Connor and Jake. 

Ray looked around the room, it was the perfect place to be. She wasn't intruding and she wasn't anywhere near central to the group. She could basically sit here and watch everyone else without having to join in or it looking like she was being left out. Maybe Chris had done something nice, but then she realised she was going to have to deal with the fall out when her group turned up, which she was betting he hadn't thought about and probably didn't care much about either. She listened in to a few conversations, none of which really interested her. Her phone buzzed again and she looked down to see a message from Mel, they were running late and they wouldn't be long. Ray sighed, she was actually enjoying herself a little bit, that was until she looked up to see Chris walking towards her followed by Connor and Jake. She started to panic slightly until she realised they were only getting drinks, which happened to be located right beside her little sanctuary. Chris took out three cans from a pack, one for each of them.  
"Batman would have to kill the Joker, it's the only possible way to keep Gotham safe and him off the streets," he said,  
"I know, that's what I said, one life for however many he'd kill if Batman let him live, and it's not like he's an innocent man after all," Connor agreed with him,  
"Exactly, if it's a question of moral, surely it's more immoral to let him live?" Jake added,  
"Killing is immoral for whatever reason," Ray surprised herself by interjecting, "but that's not the fundamental point in the 'Batman killing the Joker' argument," she frowned at them,  
"How so? Surely it's all about whether Batman can sacrifice his own morals for the good of Gotham? It's his choice to kill him or not to kill him, and there comes a point where it's for the greater good, Joker won't stop playing all his little games till he's dead, or Batman is," Connor shrugged,  
"Is he serious?" Ray looked at Chris,  
"Yeah why?" Connor stood up straight in defence,  
"Because!" Ray flung her hands out in frustration, not noticing how everyone in the group was slowly turning to watch her as she grew more and more animated, "the biggest game he's playing is the one where Batman has to choose whether or not to kill him, and yes it would be for the greater good but ultimately if Batman really did kill him, he'd know that Joker won, which is a scarier concept than him running around Gotham,"  
"How is the Joker winning scarier than the Joker himself?" Jake asked, puzzled,  
"Because the Joker represents all the chaos and violence and insanity that is humanity, believing that the only thing stopping us from all becoming like him is the law and society, but Batman doesn't answer to the law, he answers to his own set of morals so..." She drew in a breath, not noticing the smirk on Chris's face or her group of girls who'd just rounded the corner into the kitchen, "if he does indeed kill the Joker, he's proving to both himself and the Joker, not to mention everyone else, that the only reason we aren't all raving psychopaths like him is because we are scared of the law, and scared of being ostracised from society. Batman has to believe that it's not just rules, order and authority figures that stop us from being the worst of ourselves, it's our morals and our hearts, otherwise what would be worth fighting for? Not to mention that by killing the Joker he's killing himself!"  
"Okay, how does that work?" Kate joined in, intrigued,  
"Well, one doesn't make sense without the other," Ray explained, "the Joker is chaos and violence, without Batman he's just some deranged psycho, but because of Batman he has this whole agenda, he has a whole identity, a purpose, we as society can live with the idea of this madman because he's balanced out by the Bat, he makes sense because of him, and he was the by-product of the madness which drove Batman to be Batman in the first place. But the only reason why we embrace Batman so readily is because of the Joker, otherwise he'd be nothing more than a madman too, the two define each other and what they represent created their alternatives in personas,"  
"Wow, you sure read a lot into comic books," Beth laughed, slightly patronisingly, Ray looked up at her and suddenly realised all eyes in the room were on her,  
"Woah," Ray felt her heart rate go from normal to near panic attack in a few seconds flat, she looked at Chris desperately trying to convey how close to passing out she was,  
"Don't look at me, you were the one that went all over excitable nerd, it's like that time you were trying to convince me that 'Clark Kent' is in fact the real man and 'superman' is his mask, when we all know that he's the only superhero whose 'normal' identify is his costume..." Chris said, "you wouldn't stop talking then either,"  
"You're damn right I wouldn't, cause you were wrong," Ray felt her panic subside a little bit, yelling at Chris seemed to help,  
"I wasn't wrong!" He rolled his eyes, "you were just being stubborn,"  
"You were being stubborn!" Ray shot back,  
"How exactly did you get onto this subject in the first place," Harmony's haughty tone made Ray and Chris turn back to the group,  
"Oh, I was asking Chris about Ray cause I noticed the comic she was reading yesterday," Connor said, totally unaware of Chris motioning for him to stop, "I wanted to know how into them you were so he said the best way to do that was by demonstration," Connor smiled at Ray, "sorry for the set up,"  
"Uh..." Ray turned to Chris, she wanted to kill him, she used the last ounce of confidence she had left to stop herself from running out of the room. She was so mad at him. How dare he set her up like that, he knew she couldn't resist talking about that stuff.  
"I can't even..." Ray could barely speak from anger and frustration,  
"Sorry, but you never talk to anyone, I figured it was the only way to get you to speak to him," Chris shrugged as if it was nothing,  
"I don't care what you thought, you know how I feel about talking to people I don't know," she cried,  
"Exactly, I was removing the build up, you'd've barely said two words if I'd treated you like a normal person,"  
"Screw you! It was still a dick move!" Ray shoved him causing him to stumble,  
"It was still a dick move..." Chris repeated in a childish tone,  
"Very mature," Ray glared at him,  
"So!" Beth practically yelled, regaining all the attention, "what are you girls up to tonight?" She asked Ray who found herself yet again unable to speak with all eyes on her, she glared at Chris as she caught his 'I-told-you-so' look out the corner of her eye,  
"We're doing a movie night," Harmony said,  
"Oh how cute! Well, we were thinking of going clubbing, we'd invite but you know..." Beth smiled sweetly, "age restrictions and all,"  
Ray leaned in to Chris and whispered in his ear, "I cannot believe you were into her,"  
"She's hot," he shrugged, whispering back as Ray rolled her eyes.  
Harmony shifted uncomfortably, trying not to make herself look child-like, it was a good job PJ and Kat were there and didn't really care much for Beth or for being patronised.  
"We wouldn't want to go anyway, so no worries," PJ smiled back,  
"Yeah, we were kinda looking forward to having a pyjama party and vegging out," Kat joined in,  
"Pyjama party?" Will stood to attention and Ray saw Kate smirk, she enjoyed watching Beth get beat at her own game,  
"Yeah why?" Kat frowned,  
"Well, we're gonna go dance the night away right guys?" Beth said before Will could reply,  
"Awesome, well you have fun doing that and we'll have fun with pillow fights and playing games," PJ grinned wickedly,  
"What kind of games?" Will asked,  
"Nothing much...truth or dare...spin the bottle...that kind of thing," Kat teased,  
"You got room for one more?" Kate asked, desperately trying to avoid spending another night with Beth but kind of wanting to piss her off while doing it,  
"Sure," PJ said,  
"And me?!" Mia piped up,  
"The more the merrier," Kat grinned,  
"Well, it looks like it's just me and the guys then," Beth gave them all a smug look, "what with you and your girlie night in,"  
Ray really didn't like Beth and she couldn't watch her win. She took her phone out of her pocket and texted Mel the words 'Star Wars marathon' smiling to herself. Mel felt her phone buzz and looked at the message, her eyes growing wide in understanding. She put the phone back in her pocket and looked straight at the still smug Beth, "we never said it was a girls night, we were gonna do a Star Wars marathon at the same time,"  
With that all the guys stood up straight, Beth's smile faltered and she glared at Mel.  
"Anyone else want to join?" PJ looked around the room,  
"Yeah we're in," Jake and Connor raised their hands,  
"Great, that means me too," Chris sighed, "didn't think of that did you?" He said under his breath to Ray,  
"Us too," Ben, Tim and Nicky nodded, trying not to seem too flustered,  
"I'm up for it, wouldn't mind seeing some of you in pyjamas," Will winked at Mel, causing a somewhat intense reaction from Wyatt.  
"I'm sorry, did you get something in your eye?" Wyatt growled at him aggressively, standing up to move towards him,  
"Okay..." Chris put his hand flat against his brother's chest to stop him from going any further, "we'll go get more food," he said as he orbed them both out. 

Ray laughed to herself, Wyatt was so protective of Mel and his cousins but it wasn't often he looked past the perpetrator and actually at the girls. Mel didn't need him to be protective, she had no intention of going anywhere near Will, she could see he was a leech from a mile off. Beth shifted on her spot in the centre of the group, she folded her arms and looked pointedly at the girls, "So...night in it is,"  
"Okay," Mel nodded at her, letting her know she was in, "Ray, you need to grab some stuff from home so I'll orb you quick if you want? Anyone else need to grab anything?"  
Nearly everyone needed something and Mel was about to split them into travel groups when a strange man appeared behind her. Ray frowned at him as an energy ball formed in his hand, her eyes widened as he launched it at her almost immediately. She jumped off the counter, dodging it by milliseconds, the group scattered and started screaming, most of the ones who could orb or beam had instinctively disappeared leaving Ray, Jenny, Mia, Tim and Jake. The demon was locked on Ray, she ran along the length of the kitchen, ducking behind the island with the others as he threw another ball. Mel and PJ orbed back into the kitchen as Ray peered out, the demon automatically threw an energy ball at them throwing them backwards and knocking Mel out.  
"Mel!" PJ cried out,  
"Get her out PJ!" Ray yelled as she jumped up and grabbed a knife from the block on the opposite counter, the demon grinned at her, another energy ball in hand. Ray threw the knife as he threw the ball, Tim pulled her out of its path and it exploded behind her at the same time as the demon did. Ray went to run to Mel and PJ but another demon shimmered in, throwing another energy ball in her path, making her swerve and giving her no option but to run towards the dining room,  
"PJ get Mel out now, and the others," Ray yelled again,  
"I can't come back for you if I leave, they've put a spell on the house or something! Once you get out you can't get back in!" PJ screamed back as she dodged a ball pulling Mel behind the table in the kitchen,  
"Then how did you...?"  
"We only went to the attic,"  
"The attic!" Ray said to herself, she ran back into the kitchen, grabbing the whole knife block and started to throw a few at the demon who then started to followed her as planned,  
"Ray what the fuck are you doing?!" PJ yelled at her as she managed to successfully dodge the energy balls the demon threw at her,  
"Just go, I'll be fine, you'll find a way to get back in!" Ray ran out through the dining room and into the conservatory closely followed by the demon and four other people,  
"Guys what are you doing?" Ray yelled,  
"We're not leaving you behind!" Mia yelled back as she made the vase on the table crash into the back of the demon's head with a flick of her wrist, knocking him out. The four of them laughed in relief as they caught up with Ray, but it was short lived as four more demons shimmered in to the room and began launching energy balls at them.

Tim, Jake and Mia ran into the sitting room as Ray grabbed Jenny and headed for the stairs, yelling for the others to follow. She hung back and aimed a knife down the stairs at the closest one behind them, hitting her target but not like before. The demon pulled it out of his shoulder laughing at her. She carried on running up the stairs, drawing another knife and lobbing it down the hallway as she ran, this time she hit one just right and it exploded like the guy downstairs. Ray yelled at them to head for the attic, hoping the demons were low level and it would protect them all. She ran up the steps to the attic behind the rest of the group, turning and walking backwards to see if she'd been right. She was wrong, she was very very wrong. The three demons walked into the room, smiling and grinning at them. Mia started flinging stuff at them from around the room, Ray threw her last knife at the one who seemed to be fixed on her, missing and throwing the block at him instead, which did nothing. They all ducked behind bits of furniture, desperately trying to evade energy balls and death. Ray looked around the room searching for something, anything to help.  
"Crystals!" Ray laughed, "of course!" She saw the box sat on the dresser and called across to Mia, "Mia! The crystals, they'll contain the demons!"  
Mia turned her head to look as one of the demons threw an energy ball at her, sending her flying and knocking her out.  
"Mia!" Ray screamed, it took all her strength not to run to her. The demons had a clear sight on all of them now there weren't objects flying all across the room, Ray shouted for the other three to run as she grabbed the crystal box and headed down the stairs again. They legged it back down to the ground floor and Ray opened the box and threw a crystal at each of them.  
"We've got to form a pentagram and get them inside it," she cried, "Jake put yours in the centre of the doorway, Jenny yours at the bottom of the stairs, Tim put yours along from Jenny's," Ray pointed and shouted as she dived around the room, trying to get the crystals in the right place as the demons reached the bottom of the stairs. She dropped one across the room from Jakes and ran full pelt towards the middle of the room where the top point of the pentagram should be. She reached it as the demons started launching energy balls in all directions, one of them still trained specifically at her. Their eyes met as she gripped the crystal tight ready to set it, she could see he was after her, the others were just playthings. The only thing she couldn't understand was why. Maybe it was because she'd taken charge, maybe that's what it was. Ray knelt and put the crystal in place and at once all three demons were struck by lightning, forcing them to the floor. They lay jolting and jerking as the electricity coursed through their bodies, slowly destroying them. Finally they were done and there was nothing left of them except burn marks on the ground. Ray ran back upstairs to Mia as people started orbing and beaming back in.


	4. Aftermath

Mia was still strewn across the floor of the attic, Ray ran to her shouting for Chris and Wyatt. She cradled her head in her lap and tried to wake her as both brothers flew across the room to them. Wyatt placed his hands over her and within seconds she was coughing herself awake and started sitting up.  
"Oh thank God!" Ray exhaled heavily in relief and lay back on the floor, tears started up thick and fast as she let them fall down her face. Wyatt scooped her up off the floor and sat her on his lap, hugging her tightly till she'd calmed down.   
"Thanks Ray," Mia squeezed her shoulder, "you were amazing,"  
"Nah, I was..." Ray wiped the tears from her eyes, "I was...I dunno..." She sniffed and shrugged,  
"You were possessed from the sounds of it," Chris was looking at her with a humorous frown,  
"Thanks," she frowned back,  
"Well, I'm gonna head back down, let everyone know I'm ok," Mia went to move,  
"I'll join you, here..." Chris smiled holding out his hand for her, she took it and he helped pull her up, both of them heading back down the stairs. Ray stood up, helping Wyatt to his feet as well. He smiled then followed her out of the door and down the stairs. 

Ray got halfway down the last flight when she looked up and saw everyone watching her. She froze, eyes wide and stomach sinking. She was actually going to hurl this time.   
"How did you...?" Harmony was looking at her incredulously,  
"I didn't think you were magic?" Beth said sounding somewhat put out,  
"She's not," Chris said, then turned back towards Piper, the rest of the sisters and their other halves, "So, what happened? Who were these demons?"   
"We don't know, they weren't lower level, that's for sure, or your attic plan would have worked, but they aren't much higher I don't think," Piper was trying to work it out,  
"They look like a hireable group, I think they're working for someone much higher up," Paige said,  
"Yeah, question is why and what do they want? They made sure all the people they trapped in this house weren't powerful enough to fight them, or so they thought," Phoebe frowned, "was there anything they were trying to get to? Anyone they focused on more than the rest?"   
"Ray," Jenny spoke quietly, "there was one gunning for her the whole time, it looked like a coincidence to start with, like she just seemed to be in their line of sight or was the one provoking them at the time, but thinking about it now, there was always one intent on hurting her,"   
"Ray?" Leo looked at her, "any reason why demons would go after the only mortal in the house?"  
"No..." She shook her head, feeling it start to throb and wanting to cry again,  
"Are you sure?" Leo asked again, frowning at her,   
"Yes!"  
"Nothing you want to share?" He said,  
Ray desperately tried to blink back her tears, "no,"  
"Dad..." Chris almost glared at his father, "if she doesn't know she doesn't know,"  
"No, I know, I just...didn't want her to feel like she couldn't talk to us," Leo smiled, still not convinced.  
Chris turned back to Ray who had all eyes on her again. There was nothing she could do about it now, nothing to make them turn away and forget her. She'd have liked it if they would just stop looking at her like she knew something, like she was keeping secrets. Chris frowned at her then, "you provoked a demon?!" He suddenly realised what had been said, "you?!"  
"Sort of..." Ray wanted the ground to swallow her up,  
"Sort of? You threw a set of kitchen knives at them," PJ laughed,  
"Kitchen knives? At demons?" Chris looked back at Ray,  
"What else was I supposed to do? Use my powers? Make some potions?" She said sarcastically, "besides, 'provoke' makes it sound like I started it, and I definitely didn't do that!"  
"I'm still amazed that all of you managed to beat all of them," Henry said, looking from Ray to the others,  
"I'm amazed you actually spoke in front of other people," Chris laughed,  
"I told you I could do it, I just don't like to,"  
"Yeah, I'll remember next time I'm trying to set you up to get a few demons to attack, open you up a bit," Chris laughed,  
"I hate you," Ray glared at him, her cheeks growing red and refusing to look at Connor who was stood right next to Chris,  
"You saved my life you know," Mel smiled at her, breaking her death stare, "if PJ hadn't got me out that quick that bump to my head would have killed me,"   
Ray flew down the rest of the stairs and hugged her tight, "Don't mention it, what are friends for?"   
"Thanks Ray," Mel said, a little choked up,  
"Hey, you'd have done the same for me, I didn't do anything different from what anyone else would do,"   
"Technically you did," Chris piped up again, "seen as all these brave souls ran away first sign of trouble,"   
"Hey!" Kate yelled from across the room, coming closer with fury, "it was a natural reaction,"  
"To leave your friends behind?" Chris asked,  
"No you asshole, to run...I tried to get back but I couldn't, I tried!" Kate shouted at him as they got closer and closer,  
"Well, if you hadn't left in the first place..."  
"Well you get the luxury of saying that, you don't know what you'd've done if you were here,"  
"Yes I do, I know what I would've done!"  
"No you don't!" Kate cried, now nose to nose with him, Ray tried not to laugh as she could clearly see that it was going to end in a punch up or a make out session.  
"Seriously guys, get a room!" PJ huffed,   
"What are you talking about?!" Kate frowned at her,   
"I'm half Cupid, you know what I'm talking about..." PJ raised her eyebrows at them,  
"Don't be ridiculous P," Chris shook his head as he took a step back from Kate, taking in Coops expression and Ray's sniggers and frowned to himself. He glanced at Kate quickly, her cheeks were blushed and she was shifting nervously. He smiled as he moved back a bit further.  
"Sorry, it's just...they're my family," he shrugged,   
"I know, I'm sorry too," she shrugged back,   
"We good?" He asked,  
"Yeah we're good," Kate nodded, and they retreated back to their original places. Ray looked over at Chris with her eyebrows raised questioningly, she folded her arms for effect and he stayed the mature man she knew he was by frowning at her and sticking his tongue out. 

"So, we are gonna look into what makes you a target..." Phoebe got back on subject, "Ray...Ray?..Ray!" Phoebe raised her voice regaining Ray's attention and disrupting her 'weird faces' competition with Chris. Phoebe raised her eyebrows at her adopted niece and mumbled something under her breath to Coop making him grin and turn away. Before Ray could respond Paige took hold of the conversation.  
"I can head up to the elders, see if I can't get some of them talking? Or at least try and get them thinking?" she offered,  
"Yeah that's a good idea," Phoebe agreed, "they might be able to tell us something about Ray she doesn't know about herself," With that Paige orbed up to the elders, intent on finding out something.  
"Maybe you should talk to her mom?" Piper suggested, "let her know what's happening, see if she can shed some light on it,"  
"Okay, I'll head over now, did you wanna come Ray?" Phoebe asked her,  
"No, if she does know something, she's more likely to say if I'm not around, but thanks anyway Aunt Phoebe," Ray gave her a small but appreciative smile,  
"As for the rest of you, home time," Piper looked at everyone else in the room,  
"But mom, we were gonna have a movie night!" Mel argued,  
"After tonight? I don't think so!" She laughed,  
"No demon is going to attack that soon again and with all of us here it's even less likely...please...we could use the down time," she looked imploringly at Piper,  
"Fine!" Piper said after a few seconds of tense silence, she smiled as her children and their friends grinned like champions, "but...me and your dad will be here the whole time and anyone under twenty one has to tell their parents what happened, and make sure they are still happy for you to stay," she said to the sea of faces all nodding, "and we'll set up the demonic alarm system just to be safe,"   
"Right, let's get to it," Phoebe stood up, ready to go, "Coop sweetie, can you beam me to Isla's please, thanks gorgeous," she blew Coop a kiss as she disappeared with the flick off his wrist.   
"Come on Leo, let's get this alarm system up," Piper motioned to her husband, "you lot can all sort out telling your parents what happened,"  
"Well, everyone had to head home anyway, so let's go," Mel took Ray's hand, "pair up and see you in a few," she said as she orbed out.   
"Anyone wanna take me home?" Henry asked the almost empty room,  
"I've gotcha," Coop smiled at his brother-in-law, for a mortal he took to this side of magical life incredibly well. He fitted in so well he was always the one left behind.  
"Thanks bud," Henry waved as Coop beamed him out, then Coop left too.


	5. Chapter 5

Ray ran around her room shoving pyjamas and a few clean clothes in a bag. Mel watched her closely, frowning to herself as Ray moved around her room.  
"So, you really have no idea why those demons were after you?" She asked quietly,  
"No..." Ray replied in a small voice, she stopped what she was doing and stayed still and silent, her back to Mel facing her bag on the bed,  
"Ray I'm sorry I didn't mean..." Mel faltered,  
"It's ok, I wasn't planning for anyone to really believe me," she shrugged, tears in her eyes,  
"Ray..."  
"Mel, don't, I'm fine, if it was me I wouldn't believe me either," Ray sighed, she knew she couldn't expect anything different, she knew they'd all be assuming she was keeping secrets, it just surprised her how much it hurt, "you ready?" She turned back round to Mel, plastering a smile on her face and going to stand next to her,  
"Sure," she smiled back sympathetically and Ray took her arm as she orbed them back to the manor.

They were the first two back, but not for long. Everyone had orbed and beamed back to the manor within minutes of each other, and all those who needed parental permission had been given it. Mel orbed down all the spare pillows and blankets while Ray followed Wyatt into the kitchen to sort out the food.  
"We just got tons of pizza," he smiled, "seemed to make the most sense,"  
"I can agree with that," Ray said as she turned the oven on to pre-heat,  
"We got some chips and stuff too, but it was primarily pizza," He started unpacking the food him and Chris had bought,  
"Probably a good job, if you'd have thought any harder you'd have still been in the store when everyone was calling you, so we'd have no food," she forced a smile, not really feeling it,  
"Yeah..." Wyatt paused, he looked at Ray and took a breath, not realising that she knew what was coming, "so you really don't know why they were after you?"  
"No," she shook her head in resignation,  
"I just...I didn't know if it was cause everyone was there that you didn't say anything," he frowned, "sorry,"  
"It's okay, I get it," she looked at him with her new fake smile, "let's just forget it and have a good night,"  
"Yeah ok," Wyatt sighed, "sorry,"  
"Stop saying sorry, that's not forgetting it," Ray gave him a small genuine smile this time,  
"I know, sorry," he laughed as Ray glared at him, "I'll find something to distract me, I promise,"  
"Yeah, I know, I'm just not sure whether it'll be a distraction by choice or a distraction by force," she said,  
"Meaning?"  
"Will it be Jenny or will it be Will?" She chuckled,  
"Why would Will be distract...?" Wyatt already had the answer before he'd finished his sentence, "you don't think...?"  
"Oh I think, I definitely think..." Ray laughed,  
"He wouldn't..." Wyatt was getting angry just thinking about it,  
"Will wants to get laid, I'm not sure he cares who it's with," Ray goaded him,  
"Yeah, but is he stupid enough to try it with the sister of 'the chosen one'?" He frowned seriously then chuckled as Ray threw a tea towel at him, "What? I thought we'd been over this? I am the chosen one,"  
"Well 'chosen one', is your attraction to Jenny stronger than your dislike of Will?"  
"I thought you told me to steer clear of Jenny?" Wyatt looked at her skeptically,  
"Correction, I said don't _mess ___with Jenny, there is a difference," Ray pointed out,  
"Well, in that case, I'm not sure which is stronger, but I guess we're gonna find out," he said as Chris walked in,  
"Hey guys, need any help? Will is starting to piss me off out there with all his shitty pick-up lines," Chris asked,  
"I'm just gonna..." Wyatt nodded and left the kitchen leaving Chris chuckling as he watched him go.

"It's just too easy," Chris sighed turning to Ray, "so what can I do?"  
"Help put the pizzas in if you want?" Ray replied,  
"Sure thing," he started taking them out the packaging one by one, looking up at Ray after a minute or two.  
"You okay?" Chris asked her, she looked really tense, like she was anticipating something,  
"Yeah I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" She said,  
"Well, for a start you've just been attacked by a hoard of demons all intent on killing you with no known reason why, so..." He smiled, "that could be why,"  
"Yeah it could be, but it's not, I'm honestly okay," Ray smiled back, not convincingly enough for Chris,  
"Whatever you say," he finished putting the pizzas in the oven with her and set the timer, "I'm gonna take the rest of this into everyone, I'll be back in minute," he said as he gathered up the chips and stuff, walking through the kitchen door towards the crowd of people settling down in front of the TV. Ray started setting out all the drinks they had on the kitchen table, putting cups out next to them and generally just milling about. Around ten minutes later Chris came back into the room.  
"Pizzas should be ready any time now," he nodded towards the oven, "may as well chill out in here till they're done," he stood with his arms folded leaning back against the counter next to Ray.  
"So..." He started and Ray braced herself, "how come you can barely say two words to most people and yet you could run around our house leading a bunch of magical beings in a magical battle of death and destruction, not forgetting you yourself aren't magical? How does that work?" He frowned at her,  
"Uh...well...I guess my fight instinct was a hell of a lot stronger than I realised," Ray shrugged,  
"You don't say," he laughed, "seriously though, what you did...that would have been incredible for a magical being, for a mortal? Wow! I cannot believe you didn't die...I mean, I'm glad you didn't die but seriously? You probably should have died! You payed a lot more attention to us and our lives than we ever gave you credit for," Chris nudged her playfully, "and that is the only compliment you'll get out of me for another year or two,"  
"Well, the last one was about two years ago, so it was beginning to run out," Ray started relaxing a little bit, "it's just a shame no one else heard it,"  
"What'd you take me for? An amateur?" He laughed as the beeper went off and they started taking pizza out of the oven. Both Ray and Chris got to work cutting and plating them up, taking them into the sitting room as they went. Finally there were only four left to sort out, two plates each to carry.  
"So..." Chris said as he finished with the pizza, "you're really okay? Cause you didn't seem it earlier,"  
"Is that really all you wanted to ask?" Ray looked up at him, searching for the hidden question,  
"Yeah, what else would I ask you?" He frowned, no idea what she was on about,  
"I dunno, whether I _really ___don't know why they were after me?" She said quietly,  
"Why would I ask you that? I already know the answer?" He looked at her in confusion and then total shock as Ray flung her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. He put his arms around her shoulders and squeezed her back, not sure what was happening. "Ray, are you sure you're okay?"  
"No," she said in a very small voice, a few tears escaping down her cheeks,  
"Hey!" Chris felt her shoulders shake and heard her sniff, "Ray! It's okay, it's gonna be okay," he held her tight and let her cry it out for a few minutes, waiting for her to break their embrace when she was ready to.  
"Sorry," Ray sniffed as she moved back from Chris, "I just...I don't know what came over me..."  
"Must be some residual stuff left over from that possession I was on about," he smiled at her, "you know, we will find out what's going on..."  
"I know, I'm just finding it harder than I thought to accept that people are going to think I know something or that I'm keeping secrets," Ray wiped her face again as another few tears fell,  
"Has dad tried to talk to you again?!" Chris looked livid,  
"What?..no...no...it wasn't your dad," Ray shook her head,  
"Then who?"  
"It doesn't matter who, I just...I expected it from some people...but it started to look like I should expect it from everyone," Ray cleared her throat, "it doesn't matter, let's get the rest of this pizza in and start forgetting," Ray picked up two plates that Chris then took out of her hands and put back down.  
"Mel and Wyatt right?" Chris asked,  
"Yeah..." Ray frowned at him,  
"They're the only two people you've been alone with since, and the only two that would cause this reaction," Chris gave her a small smile, "you know it's not that they don't believe you or don't trust you,"  
"Yeah I know, but it's not that they do either, and that's what hurts," Ray sighed,  
"It's dad's paranoia and worry that rubs off on them, it's really not you, it's their own insecurities, they can't trust themselves and what they know about you," Chris said,  
"How come it hasn't rubbed off on you?"  
"Because I'm the best," Chris made her laugh, "it has, but I can tell when you're lying so...I didn't need to second guess myself or question you," he picked up two plates ready, "I thought Wyatt and Mel were the same, I know you can tell when we're lying, I guess I was wrong," he shrugged as Ray picked up her two again,  
"Guess you were," Ray said, following him out the kitchen, "but thanks for listening and understanding,"  
"Anytime," he said,  
"Oh, and thanks for the compliment," she smiled,  
"You know I'm never going to admit that to anyone else though right?"  
"I'd worry if you did," Ray laughed, walking over to the coffee table in the front room and putting the pizza down. She took a slice and went and found a space on the floor.


	6. All the boys and the girls

PJ pushed play on the remote and the film started. Everyone was too tired out from the afternoons events to really do much more than veg out in front of the TV. By the time 'the phantom menace' had finished the pizza was finished so everyone helped clear the plates and grabbed themselves more drink.  
"So Mel," Will sidled up to her, "you warm enough in there?"  
"Will, mind what you say, you're lucky Wyatt wasn't in earshot," Mel said,  
"Wyatt doesn't scare me," Will bragged, "besides, it was a simple question,"  
"Wyatt isn't the one who should scare you," Kat interjected,  
"No of course, it should be Leo," Will scoffed,  
"Ha! You wish! I was talking about Mel actually, you're only going to get subtle warnings for so long before she takes you out herself," Kat winked at her,  
"Out where?" Will wiggled his eyebrows,  
"Will stop being a dick," Ben said as he came up behind them,  
"I'm just asking the lady a question," Will said,  
"Exactly, she's a lady, so listen to her lady-like hints and back the hell off," Ben chastised him and Will glared back before stalking off with his drink,  
"He's a harmless dick if that helps," Ben turned to Mel and smiled,  
"Ha, yeah, thanks," she smiled, "at least I don't have to worry about actually beating his ass,"  
"Damn! I didn't think about that, I'd have paid to see that," he chuckled,  
"Well, that's what you get for saving a lady," she laughed,  
"Oh, I wasn't saving you, I was saving Will, I'm under no illusion about who would win," he winked at her and Mel just managed to stop the blush creeping up her cheeks before he walked back into the front room.  
"Well, that was interesting," PJ wiggled her eyebrows at Mel, "I think he likes you,"  
"Who likes you?" Wyatt came alongside them, giving each of the girls a glare,  
"No one, it doesn't matter," Mel shook her head at him,  
"Is it Will? It's Will isn't it?!" Wyatt growled,  
"Of course it's Will, he hasn't exactly kept quiet about it, has he?" PJ laughed,  
"But it's not Will you were talking about," Wyatt said, not asking the question because he already knew the answer, "so...who was it?"  
"None of your business," Mel looked straight at him, daring him to argue with her, Wyatt recoiled a little at her expression, "I don't need you to do the overprotective brother thing all the time Wyatt, I'm old enough and powerful enough to make my own decisions and take care of myself, can't you just do what Chris does and hit the guy if he hurts me instead of assuming that's what he's gonna do from day one?"  
"But...what if he really hurts you? I need to know who he is so I can warn him about what happens if he does," Wyatt stood defiantly but had dropped the aggressive undertone he'd been carrying,  
"Wyatt, if I was ever in any real danger I'd call you," Mel felt like she was reassuring a child, "and while you call it 'warning' a guy I call it 'scaring them away' so no, you're not 'warning' anyone," she glowered at him,  
"But Mel..."  
"Hey Jenny, you having fun?" Ray cut Wyatt short by linking her arm through Jenny's and pulling her into the conversation,  
"Yeah thanks, it's been so long since I watched Star Wars," she laughed,  
"Which one's your favourite?" Wyatt asked, curious what she'd say,  
"Attack of the Clones," she said as the groups' faces dropped, "the graphics are just so much better in the new ones and I like the love story,"  
"Attack of the Clones?" Ray asked, not quite believing she was serious,  
"Attack of the Clones," Wyatt repeated, trying to get his head round it,  
"No," Jenny giggled, unable to maintain the rouse, "it's Empire, but Attack is my favourite of the first but second trilogy,"  
"You really had us going there," PJ laughed,  
"I know, you should have seen your faces, I could almost see your attraction to me fade out in your eyes," she looked at Wyatt who went bright red, the girls jaws all dropped as they stared at sweet, quiet Jenny,  
"Wh...?" Wyatt cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably,  
"I'm part empath, I probably should have said, sorry," she smiled apologetically,  
"Part...empath? Wow, that explains a lot!" PJ smiled, "The way you look at me sometimes, it's like you can tell what I'm thinking, it was beginning to creep me out a bit,"  
"Yeah, sorry," Jenny said quietly,  
"Hey, don't worry about it," Mel said, "I get why you never said anything, a lot of people aren't too keen on the idea of being friends with an empath, but why the sudden change now? Why say something now?"  
"Well...life's too short, and today I was shown that sometimes it can be whole lot shorter than you think," Jenny shrugged,  
"That I cannot argue with," Ray smiled, "so while mine is getting increasingly shorter I'm gonna go watch more Star Wars," she picked up her drink and wandered back into the lounge closely followed by Mel and PJ.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to...uh...be so..." Jenny stuttered not sure what to say,  
"It's okay, I'm sorry I was so obvious," he laughed, "and that I'm so shallow," he grinned,  
"Nah, I know a lot more men turned off by a lot shallower things," Jenny shrugged smiling, "Star Wars is the one franchise where you can understand a lot about a person based on their opinions and beliefs and passions surrounding it,"  
"That is so true," Wyatt smiled back,  
"So let's go watch your favourite one, shall we?"  
"Hey it's not my favourite, I told you I was winding you up!"  
"Well, I'm not an empath like you, I don't know if you're being honest about that or you just changed your answer 'cause of our reaction," he shrugged as they started walking,  
"But I am telling the truth! Don't you go round telling everyone my favourite film is Attack! I'll empath the shit out of you," she pointed her finger at him in mock aggression,  
"I never said favourite film, I said favourite Star Wars film, there's a huge difference," he laughed,  
"Empire is my favourite film, not just in Star Wars, but of all time," she looked at him seriously,  
"Marry me," Wyatt said almost as seriously, just as they rounded the corner into the front room,  
"Back up a bit, because you were actually being serious then, so give yourself a minute to freak the hell out about that and we'll just pretend you never said anything," she laughed,  
"Thank you so much," he smiled back in relief,  
"What did Wyatt say without thinking this time?" Kat smirked,  
"Nothing much, I'm assuming just the usual," Jenny said, then carried on before anyone could make it a topic of conversation, "so, next film then?"  
"You bet!" Ray said, smiling as Jenny came to sit with her, PJ and Mel all stretched out of the floor along the edge of the room, she laughed to herself as she watched Wyatt trying to figure out where he wanted to be. Their seats had pretty much all changed from the first film, whereas before all the guys were across the room from the girls, they'd actually started to mingle. Tam and Kat had literally gone and sat smack dab in the centre of the guys along with Beth and Mia, Harmony and Vi followed their lead but they were hanging on the outskirts, trying to get in. Ben made sure he was on the edge furthest away from the cramp twins, which happened to place him pretty much right next to Mel. Chris and Kate were hanging at the back of the group, Ray was pretty sure she knew why. Wyatt decided to give in and went and sat next to Jenny, he looked like a very nervous and awkward teenage boy which meant Ray had to use all her strength not to laugh out loud at him. It was so cute and funny, she'd never seen him like that before. Wyatt caught her eye as he settled himself back against the wall, he could practically see what she was thinking and made sure no one was looking as he flipped her the finger. Ray shook her head in amusement and pressed play just as Harmony realised she could sit the other side of Wyatt, leaving her no time to move but over an hour to glare at Ray. 

About half way through the second film, Ray could feel herself flagging. What with the events of the day she was exhausted. She got up quietly and went to get a drink from the kitchen and try to wake herself up a bit. Unbeknown to her Chris and Kate were currently making out in the kitchen, Chris had Kate pushed up against a counter and they looked like they were practically eating each other. They weren't being quiet about it either.  
"Hey guys," Ray yawned, laughing as she watched them jump apart,  
"Hey Ray, are you...? Did you...? We were just..." Kate and Chris mumbled a bunch of different stuff at Ray before falling silent in defeat,  
"It's fine guys, don't sweat it," Ray chuckled, "I really don't care all that much,"  
"So...are you gonna tell anyone, 'cause you know, we...uh..." Chris started, fortunate that Ray understood what he was trying to say,  
"No, I won't say anything," Ray smiled, "but you might wanna do that somewhere else, you were lucky it was only me that walked in,"  
"Yeah, okay, thanks Ray," Chris sighed, "we could hide in the conservatory maybe?"  
"Bad idea, you're both way too loud," Ray shook her head, watching them both blush furiously,  
"Uh..." Kate wasn't sure what to say, "sorry," her shoulders dropped,  
"Hey, don't worry about it, I'm just trying to help you not get caught, if I were you I'd go basement, bedroom or attic," Ray shrugged nonchalantly, she turned her back on them to make her drink, smiling to herself at the whispering behind her, "I'll leave you to it," she winked as she turned back round, drink in hand, and made her way back to her spot in the lounge. She settled back down and managed to get through the second film without falling asleep, but only just. 

The rest of the group were also beginning to flag now, everyone moved about at the end of the second film, most of the girls went to get their pyjamas on, and much to Will's disappointment (but the rest of the guys' relief) it was all pretty normal, modest type nightwear. A consensus was made that they'd watch the next three in the morning, so after that sleeping bags, blankets and pillows were all passed out and around the group. Not surprisingly Wyatt and Jenny just happened to be close enough to share, Mel and Ben did the same thing once Wyatt was asleep. Ray laughed inwardly as she looked around and saw no sign of Chris or Kate, they'd obviously taken their party elsewhere. Ray just about managed to make it to the end of the third film before turning the TV off and passing out. She couldn't not see it all, she was one of those people that would of had to watch what she'd missed before starting the next one. She lay her head on a pillow and was out like a light the instant she shut her eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: minor character death that affects major character

Ray woke up the next morning to an uneasy feeling. It was early and everyone else was still asleep. She moved off the floor and went into the kitchen, fixing a cup of coffee and sitting at the counter. She sighed and shook her head, trying to figure out what it was that had got her so on edge (other than demon's being after her and all that), and what it was that had painted a target on her back. A few minutes later and Chris had orbed in, getting a coffee of his own and coming to sit with her.  
"You okay?" He asked,  
"Sure," Ray shrugged,  
"What's up?" He said,  
"You mean other than the demon assassins after me?"  
"Yeah, other than that. I can tell you're feeling hinky..."  
"Hinky?" Ray smirked,  
"Yes, hinky," he huffed, "you've got that weird look in your eye, the one that you get when you're feeling odd,"  
"I don't know," Ray sighed, "I just feel...odd..."  
"Thank you for the elaboration there," Chris laughed,  
"I'm sorry...it just feels like something bad is gonna happen," she huffed,  
"Worse than demon assassins?"  
"No, just very different..." Ray sighed,  
"Well, it's super early and I'm going back to bed," he smiled,  
"With Kate?" Ray smirked,  
"Maybe..." He grinned,  
"See you later," Ray waved.

A couple hours later and everyone was up and having breakfast, getting ready to start the next part of the Star Wars marathon.   
"Hey Wyatt, can you pass me the ketchup?" Mel asked from across the table,  
"Sure," he smiled, orbing it to her before turning back to Jenny. Ray smiled at them as she ate her breakfast. Suddenly every part whitelighter and cupid dropped everything and just vanished. The looks on their faces before they were gone left a cold hard dread in the bottom of Ray's stomach. Everyone looked at each other in shock and panic, Leo came flying down the stairs and into the room.  
"It's Phoebe and your mom," he said, looking straight at Ray,  
"What?!" She cried, "what's happening?"  
"I don't know, all I know is they've been hit," Leo said.  
Ray got up from the table quickly and began pacing around the room. She shook her head as tears started falling from her eyes. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. What the hell was so special about her?! Ray turned quickly at the sound of orbs coming from the hallway.  
"No...no...please, no..." Ray felt her unrelenting tears falling, she'd forgotten where she was and who she was surrounded by as her legs gave way beneath her. She felt arms wrap around her from behind and catch her before she hit the ground, she heard muted voices panicking and asking questions, she saw Phoebe run towards her with nothing but sorrow etched on her face. Ray's mom was dead, and by the look on her Aunt Phoebe's face, no amount of magic was going to bring her back.

Ray woke with a start in the middle of the night. She was in Mel's bedroom, the light of the moon shone through the cracks in the curtains and there was a breeze coming from one of the windows that had been left slightly ajar. She breathed in stilted breaths, desperately trying not to cry again. It was only two in the afternoon when she'd passed out, it was Chris who caught her and Piper was only inches behind Phoebe when she went running to her. Phoebe was going to take Ray home but Piper managed to persuade her to put her to bed at the manor, Mel instantly gave up her room for her best friend. Ray looked around the room with a sad heart, marvelling at how nothing looked like it had changed yet she knew everything had. Her mom was her world, it had been just the two of them since she was born, and she didn't know what she was supposed to do now, she didn't know how she was supposed to move forward or even make it to the next day. She felt numb inside and out, like she was in a padded cell but the walls were clear and she could see out. Ray felt her tears start falling again, like it was just going to happen now no matter what. She climbed out of the bed and quietly left the room.

She padded softly downstairs, determined not to wake anyone. She needed time to herself, time to feel normal without someone looking at her in sympathy. She was still crying but she needed to cry so she didn't try to stop. She could feel her body's hunger but the thought of eating anything made her feel sick so she tipped out a bowl of fruit loops and just picked at them now and again. The kitchen was dark and quiet, it felt nice to be alone and to sit and think. Sure, everything Ray thought about made her cry more, made her heart ache harder and made the pain she felt stronger, but she had to feel it. If she didn't feel it, she really would have lost her mom. At least the pain helped her remember, the ache reminded her that what she had with her mom was beyond measurable and the tears were each a memory ingrained in her head instead of fading away. She heard the sound of orbs behind her and turned to see Chris standing there, he had grey sweat pants on and his hair was a mess. Ray couldn't help but smile at the state of him. "Hey," she said, barely above a whisper, "Hey," Chris smiled back, "I didn't realise anyone was up, I can leave if you want?" "No, it's ok, I've been down here a while now, some company wouldn't go amiss," her eyes glistened still, "that is if you don't mind putting up with my leaking eyes," she said a little hoarsely, "I'd be a bit concerned if they weren't," Chris said, coming to sit beside her and grabbing a few fruit loops, "So, you probably know why I'm up, what about you? Why can't you sleep?" Ray asked, her voice thick with tears, "Well, I dunno, sometimes I just wake up for no reason, but I think tonight it's cause Kate and Mel snore, a lot," he laughed making Ray giggle through her tears, "Your mom put Mel in your room with you and your brand new girlfriend?" She couldn't help but love Piper's sense of humour, "I know right, it's not like we had much time to figure out what we were before we were told what we were," Chris smiled at Ray, and then looked at her seriously, "I'm sorry about your mom," "Thanks," she looked up expecting to see the look of pity she'd found on every other face since she saw Phoebe's, but all she saw was Chris's sincerity and his compassion. She couldn't help it but her tears started falling faster and she felt her breathing become stilted again. "Hey, hey," Chris moved to put his arms around her, he pulled her into a hug and picked her up, sitting back down with her on his lap, "I'm sorry," Ray managed to say through great wracking sobs, "Don't be," Chris squeezed her tightly, he put his chin on her head and rubbed her back, just letting her cry and trying his best to comfort her.   
A few hours later Ray managed to calm herself enough to let Chris go. She breathed in shakily as she sat back on her stool. The sun had started peeking through the blinds and it seemed to warm the kitchen. She could still feel the gapping hole in her heart but she felt a tiny bit better for having a proper cry. "Thanks Chris, I'm really sorry," she hiccuped, "Hey, you just lost your mom, you've got nothing to be sorry about," Chris looked her in the eye, "it's what friends are for," he smiled, "You're gonna make me cry again," Ray laughed a little, "Well, at least someone'll look worse than I do today," he grinned, "Hey!" She found herself smiling despite herself, "you don't exactly set a high bar you know," "Thanks! After letting you literally use my shoulder to cry on...charming!" He laughed, "I could have done with one of those cloths you use when you burp a baby," "I don't know whether to be offended or impressed that you know such a thing exists!" Ray smiled through her sniffs, "Go with impressed, it sounds better," he smiled back and jumped down from his stool, "coffee?" He asked Ray as he began putting a pot on ready for everyone else when they woke too, "Yeah, sounds good," She nodded, picking up a few fruit loops and munching on them, trying to appease her body and her emotional state at the same time.


End file.
